1st European Bloggers Summit EASD 2012

For the past 12 years, I have taken an interest in diabetes, surfing the web, writing, trying to create and enlarge a community. Portale Diabete has been around for over 8 years, nonetheless I was surprised to receive an invite to the first bloggers summit that would have taken place in Berlin, on the occasion of EASD 2012.

Arriving early in the morning in Berlin allowed my travel and summit companions (Biagio and Ivan) and myself to visit the city, taste its flavors, and appreciate the unusually mild weather.

At 5 p.m., we met with the other Italian bloggers (Alessandra and Roberto) and MOVI chiefs, our guests, at the hotel lobby.

In a friendly and informal environment, we introduced ourselves, shared feelings and motivations. As always, the question “but if you’re not diabetic, why do you do it?” comes up. And, as always, I have a ready answer: “because I do not want others to go through what we went through, so they won’t feel lonely … to thank God for giving my brother a second chance”.

It’s a pleasure to discover that even the Big Pharms consider patients not only as potential “clients”, but as people, as human beings that, through their posts, express all of their hopes, needs, disillusions: their lives with diabetes.

At 7.30 p.m., a bus took us to a lovely restaurant (The Grand) where, by the candlelight, the evening flew by amid presentations, laughter and great food.

By midnight, we were back at the hotel (in the pink room, I felt like Barbie’s grandmother!).

And here comes Wednesday: at 9 a.m., it’s time for the meeting!

Even though none of us is a web engineer, everyone in reality demonstrates great competence in explaining, illustrating his or her own blog.

Kerry, an American blogger (Sixuntilme), leads off and then, one after the other, we all explained how and why we had decided to write about diabetes.

There are questions, many smiles, we can feel the participation, the interest. We all have a common objective, even if delineated in many ways: to ensure that diabetes doesn’t represent a limitation, a reason to be discriminated, to be lonely.

What is, often, missing is the opportunity to share: sharing must be part of the therapy!

By sharing of our feelings, our experiences, our knowledge, we try to live our lives while waiting for our D day: the day in which it will be announced that diabetes has been cured!